How Arsenal could sign Zakaria in January

Stefan Bienkowski

• 28 Oct 2021 21:55 BST
• 7 min read

Despite signing two central midfielders in the summer transfer window, reports of Arsenal being interested in signing Denis Zakaria continue to persist.

According to the Sun, the London club have lined up a move for Zakaria in January or indeed the following transfer window.

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The Borussia Moenchengladbach defensive midfielder has impressed Bundesliga fans for a number of years now and with a contract that is set to expire at the end of the season, speculation continues to surround Switzerland international and his future.

But how likely are Arsenal to snap up this in-demand midfielder and what is his current situation with Gladbach like?

Gladbach’s contract showdown with Zakaria

Whether or not Arsenal would be able to sign the Gladbach midfielder should become perfectly clear before the January window.

According to Sport-Bild, Zakaria has been pushing for a significant salary increase at Borussia Park.

However, like Matthias Ginter who is also approaching the last six months of his contract, the Gladbach star is unlikely to be offered improved terms due to the fact that the club has been hit financially by the COVID pandemic and will have to renew no less than 10 first-team contracts next season.

As such, Zakaria will either have to accept the current terms he’s on at the moment or could find himself on the transfer list in January, as Gladbach look to cash in on the midfielder before he departs for free in the summer.

Should the Bundesliga side opt for the second option, Arsenal would be wise to swoop in and make an offer for a player that not only wants to leave but will likely be up for sale.

Do Arsenal need Zakaria?

The nature of this rumour is a little odd, considering the fact that Arsenal signed Martin Odegaard and Albert Sambi Lokonga in the summer transfer window.

Add to that the fact that they also signed fellow defensive midfielder Thomas Partey 12 months before that and it seems a little strange to consider the club making moves for yet another ball-winning midfielder.